HELENA — Montana’s unemployment rate continued to drop in May, falling to 3.6%, which is down from 4.0% in January and marks a 9.1% drop over one year ago.
The lowest unemployment rate in Montana was 1.4% in McCone County, and the highest jobless rate was 8.1% in Big Horn County.
The unemployment rate for the U.S. was 5.8% for the month of May.
“Montanans who were sidelined during the pandemic are returning to the workforce and getting back to work,” Governor Greg Gianforte said in a news release.
Montana’s total employment, which includes payroll, agricultural, and self-employed workers, grew by 2,221 in May. Meanwhile, the labor force added 1,908 workers last month.
Payroll jobs declined by 700 in May, with drops in construction and leisure and hospitality accounting for most of the loss. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 0.6% over the month in May.
For more information about unemployment insurance, job opportunities, apprenticeships, and career services, visit MontanaWorks.gov.
| Rank | County | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | McCone | 1.4 | -2.1 | 964 | 57 |
| 2 | Daniels | 1.5 | -2.1 | 916 | 55 |
| 3 | Garfield | 2 | -1 | 723 | 35 |
| 4 | Judith Basin | 2 | -4.1 | 904 | 18 |
| 5 | Liberty | 2 | -0.5 | 951 | 58 |
| 6 | Powder River | 2 | -1.9 | 965 | 104 |
| 7 | Toole | 2 | -5.1 | 2132 | 186 |
| 8 | Fallon | 2.1 | -3.4 | 1643 | 174 |
| 9 | Sweet Grass | 2.1 | -2.7 | 1874 | 153 |
| 10 | Meagher | 2.2 | -4.7 | 891 | 67 |
| 11 | Petroleum | 2.3 | -1.3 | 259 | 16 |
| 12 | Powell | 2.3 | -4.3 | 2908 | 199 |
| 13 | Beaverhead | 2.4 | -3 | 5076 | 419 |
| 14 | Chouteau | 2.4 | -2.5 | 2408 | 139 |
| 15 | Custer | 2.6 | -3.9 | 6246 | 475 |
| 16 | Valley | 2.6 | -2.9 | 4039 | 327 |
| 17 | Fergus | 2.7 | -3.1 | 5875 | 480 |
| 18 | Hill | 2.7 | -3.7 | 7387 | 458 |
| 19 | Lewis and Clark | 2.7 | -4.4 | 36320 | 3339 |
| 20 | Teton | 2.7 | -2.6 | 2767 | 189 |
| 21 | Gallatin | 2.7 | -6.7 | 66673 | 4761 |
| 22 | Dawson | 2.8 | -5.5 | 4465 | 257 |
| 23 | Deer Lodge | 2.8 | -4 | 5131 | 508 |
| 24 | Stillwater | 2.8 | -4.4 | 5307 | 479 |
| 25 | Treasure | 2.8 | -1.7 | 353 | 38 |
| 26 | Wibaux | 2.8 | -3.6 | 446 | 37 |
| 27 | Carter | 2.9 | -0.1 | 611 | 31 |
| 28 | Jefferson | 2.9 | -4.3 | 5734 | 512 |
| 29 | Phillips | 2.9 | -3 | 1852 | 113 |
| 30 | Pondera | 2.9 | -3.4 | 2635 | 162 |
| 31 | Yellowstone | 2.9 | -5.2 | 80388 | 5380 |
| 32 | Ravalli | 3.1 | -4.5 | 20892 | 2165 |
| 33 | Cascade | 3.1 | -5.5 | 36483 | 2550 |
| 34 | Prairie | 3.2 | -4.8 | 461 | 38 |
| 35 | Missoula | 3.2 | -6.8 | 61907 | 4943 |
| 36 | Rosebud | 3.3 | -4.9 | 3693 | 189 |
| 37 | Silver Bow | 3.3 | -6.1 | 16796 | 1552 |
| 38 | Blaine | 3.4 | -1.7 | 2246 | 91 |
| 39 | Broadwater | 3.4 | -4.5 | 2622 | 294 |
| 40 | Carbon | 3.4 | -5.6 | 5348 | 370 |
| 41 | Lake | 3.4 | -4.8 | 13649 | 1347 |
| 42 | Park | 3.4 | -10.9 | 8500 | 981 |
| 43 | Sheridan | 3.4 | -3 | 1732 | 144 |
| 44 | Madison | 3.5 | -5.6 | 3940 | 403 |
| 45 | Golden Valley | 3.8 | -3.3 | 351 | 23 |
| 46 | Flathead | 3.9 | -8.5 | 48030 | 5228 |
| 47 | Musselshell | 4.1 | -3.6 | 2299 | 197 |
| 48 | Sanders | 4.1 | -5.9 | 5050 | 501 |
| 49 | Roosevelt | 4.3 | -3.6 | 4313 | 263 |
| 50 | Granite | 4.5 | -8.2 | 1487 | 177 |
| 51 | Mineral | 4.6 | -9.2 | 1729 | 219 |
| 52 | Richland | 4.6 | -4.6 | 5437 | 46 |
| 53 | Wheatland | 4.6 | -5.5 | 742 | 64 |
| 54 | Lincoln | 5.6 | -7.5 | 7767 | 713 |
| 55 | Glacier | 7.1 | -3.2 | 5013 | 181 |
| 56 | Big Horn | 8.1 | -1.2 | 4520 | 201 |
| Rank | Area | Current Unemployment Rate | Change over Year | Current Employment | Job Change from Last Year |
| 1 | Flathead | 3.6 | -5.1 | 13370 | 1314 |
| 2 | Fort Peck | 5.3 | -4.6 | 3885 | 247 |
| 3 | Fort Belknap | 7.7 | -4.4 | 739 | 30 |
| 4 | Rocky Boy's | 8.6 | -9.4 | 1065 | 66 |
| 5 | Northern Cheyenne | 9.4 | -9.1 | 1280 | 63 |
| 6 | Blackfeet | 9.7 | -4.6 | 3557 | 134 |
| 7 | Crow | 12 | -1.9 | 2311 | 108 |
